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Buena Park council approves seven Koreatown freeway signs, Caltrans bars city name; funding shifts to economic development fund
Summary
Buena Park authorized seven directional ‘Koreatown’ freeway signs after Caltrans said it would not allow the city name on cultural‑designation signs. Council changed the funding source to the economic development fund and approved the $45,281 appropriation in a 3–2 vote.
Buena Park’s City Council voted 3–2 on May 20 to fund seven directional freeway signs pointing to the city’s newly designated Koreatown, approving a $45,281 allocation and directing staff to finalize agreements with Caltrans.
The signs, recommended by management analyst Francis Capistrano, would be placed at both northbound and southbound Beach Boulevard exits on I‑5 and at the Beach Boulevard exits on SR‑91. Capistrano told the council Caltrans completed design work and recommended seven signs and that staff needs the appropriation to finalize agreements and let the city manager execute documents.
Vice Mayor Trout asked whether the signs could read “Koreatown Buena Park.” Staff reported they had reached out to Caltrans and were told the brown cultural‑designation signs are allowed but “they wouldn’t allow us to put the city name because it would be considered an advertisement of the city,” a staff member said during the meeting.
Council discussion also touched on how similar projects were funded in neighboring cities. City staff said Anaheim’s Little Arabia signs were paid for with city funds and that transportation gas tax options would not be eligible. Mayor An moved to fund the project from the economic development fund rather than the undesignated general fund balance and the motion passed 3–2.
The action directs staff to finalize agreements with Caltrans and proceed with sign installation. No detailed placement schedule was announced at the meeting.
What happens next: staff will finalize Caltrans agreements and return any needed documents to the city manager for signature to begin installation and fabrication.
